The Lockheart Crucifix
by Alamrin
Summary: Millenia ago, the legacy of the Lockheart reigned in the bloodwars...Today, a war may begin again, and only one can end it… A human… A Lockheart." Tifa didn't know what to expect when Vincent Valentine showed up at her doorstep... VinTi
1. Prologue

Prologue

**Prologue**

_Millennia ago…_

_The legacy of the Lockheart reigned in the Bloodwars,_

_Pushing all vampire species to the brink of extinction._

_The Lockheart mission entailed hunting the vampires,_

_Killing them by the scores…_

_For the safekeeping of the human race._

_The vampires consumed the humans for blood,_

_And the Lockhearts fought_

_To keep the humans in existence_

_Before the vampires could succeed in infesting the world with their kind._

_Some say the Lockhearts possessed great powers…_

_But Magnus Lockheart, the eldest and most powerful,_

_Led the legacy to victory_

_Through the sacred silver cross, the Lockheart Crucifix_

_Which he embedded into the very heart of the supreme vampire_

_Broderick Accursius._

_Peace reigned for thousands of years…_

_Millennia ago, a war over humans ended._

_Today, a war may begin again,_

_And only one can end it…_

_A human…_

_And a Lockheart. _


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Ok this is my first fic with an actual storyline, and it's also my first story ever that's not COMPLETELY romance, so help me out by telling me what you think . Tifa's thoughts are shown by italic font.

**Chapter 1**

"Hey put us up with another set of kegs, baby!"

Tifa hastily finished mixing a cosmopolitan and pushed it towards a customer at the counter with a quick smile. She then ran into the room behind the counter area where she topped four kegs with beer.

"Yuffie!" the busty brunette called, and the skinny ninja\ waitress sped up to the counter. "Table four," Tifa prompted, and the girl was off, the capable waitress. The ninja side showed up a little though, when one of the drunk men tried to grab the young girl's ass.

Yuffie, her stormy grey eyes flashing with anger, grabbed the man's had and with one quick movement, flipped him off the chair that he was already wobbling on from before.

She shouted a couple of indecent words at him for the entertainment of everyone else in Seventh Heaven, Tifa's little bar. Tifa shook her lowered head and smiled.

She placed a hand on her forehead, trying to ease the throbbing headache there. _Why does bartending have to be so fun and tiring at the same time? _She mustered up a smile for the customer she saw approaching. "Welcome to Seventh Heaven, what'll it be?"

She finally raised her eyes to look at the man standing there, and her eyes brightened and her smile became more genuine as her eyes took in the recognizable blond spikes, blue-as-ever eyes and handsome smile of her boyfriend.

"Cloud," she sighed in relief, leaning forward over the counter to press a soft, quick kiss on his lips, but he held her there for a longer one, much to her delight and amusement. "Hey get your freaking mouth off my girl!!"

The boisterous drunkard who had just gotten thrown off his chair got up off the ground and staggered towards Cloud in drunken stupor.

Cloud released his girlfriend and coolly lifted a muscled arm to the hilt of the large sword strapped to his back.

He pulled it partially from its sheath, exposing part of a broad and shiny blade.

The drunkard backed off immediately.

Tifa laughed heartily. "You know I can take care of myself Cloud," she assured him, and he touched a finger affectionately to her lips. "I know. I just did the guy a favor of not having to deal with your fists," he grinned, then became serious. "You should close up Teef, it's a little late, don't you think?"

"You're kidding right? It's only eleven thirty, and it's like prime time on a Friday night," Tifa chided, turning away to serve upcoming customers.

She saw a crowd of them, and took a deep breath.

She worked somersaults to serve each person, mixing drinks and offering suggestions, while warding off drunkards and still managing to throw a loving smile at her boyfriend; Tifa Lockheart was a workaholic.

#

"Ok, that's a night," Tifa sighed heavily as she shut the heavy double doors of Seventh Heaven, two and a half hours later. Rain pounded heavily on the roof, and Tifa shivered a little at the cold draft that came in before she closed the door.

"You work too much Teef," Cloud said, slipping eager arms around her hips from behind.

"Yeah, I know," she chuckled, turning in his arms and slipping her own arms around his neck. "Why don't you ease my tension?"

Cloud grinned and pulled her curvy body against his muscular one with a mischievous chuckle, pressing his lips to hers. He pulled a soft, breathy moan from her almost immediately.

She giggled as he moved his mouth playfully over hers, making the kiss deeper and then lighter, then deeper again by turn. He had just slipped his hand under her blouse and was running eager fingers up her back, when a loud, echoing knock interrupted their play. Cloud groaned, but did not stop kissing her.

Until he felt her solid fist sink into the muscle of his stomach.

"TIFA," he grunted, doubling over at the force of her strong punch and clutching his stomach. "It's what you get for being so stubborn," Tifa chided, placing her hands on the handles of the double doors. _Gosh, these drunks don't know an open bar from a closed one…_

The thought lingered in her mind as she pulled the doors open, a pleasant but sympathetic smile ready. "Hey, sorry but the bar is…" Tifa's voice wavered and faded as her wine colored eyes took in a most bone-chilling sight.

The broad-chested man standing in the middle of the doorway could not have been shorter than six feet tall, and he towered over a 5'4" Tifa, majestically. Rain poured heavily from overcast skies, soaking through the deep red cowl and black pants he wore.

The collar of the cowl reached straight up over his nose, and thick, wet, black hair screened his eyes. There he stood, tall and menacing, on a background of storm-black clouds and forked lightning. A cold shiver crept down Tifa's spine…

She jumped a mile and a half when an ear-splitting crack of thunder echoed through the empty bar, and she ran backwards into Cloud's embrace, slipping her arms around his middle for comfort. He hugged her close, warily eyeing the man who stood in the doorway.

"Cloud Strife?"

The voice came deep and devoid of expression, barely a question.

"Yes," Cloud replied evenly, "And you are?" "Vincent," the man said. Tifa shivered; se was sure it was not because of the cold. _His voice is so freaking deep, it's… scary… _"Vincent Valentine?" Cloud questioned, and Tifa looked up at him in question.

At Vincent's nod, Cloud nodded in return. "Please come in," he invited. Tifa clutched at Cloud's black shirt. _Who the hell is this? Cloud… knows him…?_ With one graceful, sweeping step, Vincent entered the bar, dripping wet. Tifa reluctantly left the shelter of her boyfriend's embrace to close in the doors.

"Tifa, you know that Barret's asked me to help him build a new hotel in Midgar right?" Cloud began, then continued at Tifa's shaky nod. "He sent this man, Vincent Valentine, to help us. I heard that you're quite capable in the construction area, Mr. Valentine?" Cloud enquired. Vincent nodded.

"I, uh… I'm gonna get a – a towel," Tifa stammered, finding herself unable to speak, unable to breathe with the forbidding man's eyes upon her. She dashed off, leaving a slightly embarrassed Cloud and a deadpan Vincent behind.

_Dear God, keep me safe._

Tifa lifted a hand to the beautiful and intricate silver crucifix hanging around her neck as she headed upstairs to her room where she kept the clean towels away from the kids and Yuffie.

_I've never felt this intimidated by someone before…_

Towel in hand, she crept back down the stairs and peeked out from behind the lattice screen blocking the staircase from the bar. She saw Cloud and Vincent talking – well, Cloud talking and Vincent looking through the frosted glass of a window at the now torrential storm outside, nodding from time to time.

_He's got evil written all over him… _Tifa shuddered, then took a deep breath and went towards them, holding out the towel to Vincent. He stretched an arm out to her, and she gasped softly as she saw that Vincent had a golden claw from the elbow down. _What happened to his arm…?_

He closed the talon-like fingers of it around the fabric and took the towel from her with a slight nod of thanks. Tifa turned quickly away to avoid his eyes and went back to Cloud. "By the way, Vincent, this is Tifa Lockheart, my girlfriend," Cloud introduced her, kissing her cheek lightly.

Tifa smiled timidly and reached for Cloud's hand, but before she could take it, Vincent put out his other arm, a fully human one, towards her, fingers outstretched. Tifa raised her wine colored, red-brown eyes to Vincent's; his eyes were as red as blood, and they glinted mysteriously at her.

Shakily, Tifa put her hand in his, gasping softly at the coldness and pallor of his skin. _It's like there's no blood in him… except for those eyes… _

She jerked away, then walked as quickly as she could towards the staircase; she did not stop walking until she was behind the closed door of her room. She leaned her back on it, slipping down to her knees, which were shaking with fright.

_What the HELL just happened!?_ Tifa gasped for breath, almost cringing at the biting chills that ran up and down her back. His touch was so cold, so startling and so… eerie… _Something's up with him, and I just can't put my finger on it… I hope Cloud knows what he's doing, because that man … is not normal…_

#

"Morning Clo-"

Tifa gasped and stumbled backwards in shock and startled fear. The man she thought was Cloud glared at her with cold, blood eyes.

"Uh, sorry, I just… thought…" she trailed off as Vincent seemed to disregard her, turning to the coffee maker and pouring himself a steaming cup. He leaned a hip against the kitchen counter and sipped of his cup, staring out the window over the sink at the steadily falling rain outside.

_What the hell is he doing here?? Cloud didn't… did he??_

"Morning Teef." Tifa heard the voice of her boyfriend and suddenly felt his arms around her waist. "M – Morning," she said shakily, turning in his arms and pressing her lips softly to his.

"Why is he here?" she murmured silently against his lips. Cloud chuckled and went towards the coffee maker.

"You know that Barret assigned Vincent and I to this new construction job, Teef, and Vincent has nowhere to stay."

_Oh God, no… please, no…_

"I've invited him to stay here. The site is walking distance, so it'll be convenient for us both. I gave him the room next to yours. You don't mind, right?"

_What the &#!&#!#!!_

"O – Oh, but Cloud," she began, thinking quickly. "That – that room is just so – so uh… small…" The statement that seemed so plausible in her mind sounded feeble in her ears now as she warily eyed Vincent, who seemed to be eyeing her back, though she could not tell… his eyes were mysteriously shielded by his mid-length, jet-black hair.

"Oh come on hon, it's not that small," Cloud reasoned with a smile, though his eyes looked at her in secret question, asking silently, "What's wrong with you?"

_I'm scared to death of that demon man you invited to stay in my house, that's what!_

Tifa shook her head slightly to ward off his questioning gaze, and as she turned to leave the kitchen, she didn't look to see where she was going, and tripped over Vincent's black booted foot. She fell forward with a squeal and waited for the painful bump of her head on hardwood.

It didn't come. _What the…?_

Instead of a bump, she felt a warm band around her waist, then a slight pull, and then she was back on her feet, staring at Vincent's broad, red-clad chest. She slowly looked up and dared to meet his eyes, wondering all the while at the strange tingly feeling she now felt where his arms had caught her waist.

He seemed to glare at her again with those blood eyes, and she drew in a deep, shaky breath, afraid at what he might do. _Did he get angry…?_ Her mind gave her terrifying images of an angry Vincent, and she gasped again, unaware that her expressions clearly showed her horror at the man.

"Teef, you need to be more careful honey," Cloud scolded gently, slipping his own arms around her waist. The tingle did not waver. Tifa huddled close to Cloud.

"Do you need anything to make your room more comfortable, Vincent?" Cloud asked, and the fear in Tifa's face quickly changed to annoyance.

_I'M the hostess here... What is Cloud thinking anyway? Sure I have a spare room, give it to the frickin' devil, why don't you!? _

Tifa ran a tirade in her mind, once again oblivious that her thoughts were reflected on her expression. Vincent shook his head and silently turned away, rather frostily.

As he stalked up the staircase, Tifa knew, with great discomfort, that the mysterious man was quite aware of her displeasure towards him.

#

Ok so there it is. Is Vincent '_scary yet sexy'_ enough? I hope so. The asterix wasn't showing up, so I separated the sections with #. Hope it's not too ugly . Please R&R


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"H-hey Teef?"

Tifa threw open the double doors of the bar and turned to face her ninja friend Yuffie, startled by the falter in the girl's voice. She was even more startled to see a look of uncertainty and discomfort on the girl's face.

"Yuffie? What's wrong?" Tifa enquired.

"Who's… that guy?" Yuffie asked shakily, pointing an indiscreet thumb to a shadowed corner of the bar where a black, eerie form sat with glass in hand. Red eyes glinted sharply through the shadows.

_Holy shit, I didn't even see him there…_

Tifa's breath caught in her throat, and then she shuddered; this action caused Yuffie to become increasingly uncomfortable. Tifa saw this, and sobered up for the sake of her friend, though she found it hard to do so when the man was able to become no more than a shadow in an instant.

"That's, uh, Vincent, Cloud's new co-worker. He's staying in the room next to mine." Tifa's voice shook a little, but she sucked it in and smiled at Yuffie. "Be nice okay?"

Yuffie nodded stiffly, attempting to smile back; it was a rigid, uncertain shadow of a smile.

_Why does he look at me like that??_ Tifa narrowed her eyes and squinted, trying to recognize the man's features in the darkness. She realized that she was staring, and shook her head slightly and went to attend to an early-morning customer at the counter.

Yuffie glanced back at the man, half curious, half scared. She almost jumped out of her skin when she saw him raise a glinting glass to the light; it was empty. She blinked her big grey eyes curiously, her plump little lips parted in wonder as the long-haired shadow ghost nodded his head for her to come to him.

She took one step forward, then another and soon she was walking at a steady pace towards him, curiosity overpowering her fear. She walked straight up to him and stopped in front of the glass. She took it with a shaking hand, captivated by the mysterious blood-colored eyes.

She could not see his face, even as she was this close, but his eyes seemed to speak to her, seemed to relay some message that, to her, was unintelligible. He blinked, and in that instant she snapped out of her mystic reverie and backed away, retreating to the counter where Tifa stood.

Tifa jumped when Yuffie more or less dropped the glass on the counter; thankfully, the glass did not break.

"Yuf what's going on with you?" Tifa question, knowing all too well what was bothering the young girl. _So she feels the strange vibe off him too…_

Yuffie's large eyes shimmered with fear. "Just refill his glass," she choked out. Tifa picked up the glass and swiped a finger on the inside, then stuck the finger in her mouth.

_Vodka… _Tifa rinsed and refilled the glass, then looked at her friend. Pity filled her soul as she saw the scared expression on Yuffie's face. "I'll carry it Yuf," Tifa reassured her; Yuffie only nodded and bent her head.

Tifa walked towards the shadowed corner, her back straight and her chin up, calming herself within. She did not wee the eyes until he raised them to her, and a cold quiver shot down her back at the sight of them.

_Why and I so scared of him?? I know I can take care of myself… But there's this sick feeling to my stomach…_

She held out the glass to him, the shaking evident as the liquid quivered in the glass.

"Thank you."

The deep masculine voice pierced through her very being, and the inhuman coldness of his touch brushed her fingers as he took the glass. "Y-You're welcome," she stammered, turning to leave.

She felt his eyes on her as if they bore holes in her back, but she managed to keep a smooth enough stride as she took her place behind the counter.

"Tifa, honey, can I have a double scotch?" Cloud's voice echoed through the near-empty bar. "Hey chocobo," Yuffie teased, jumping up and ruffling Cloud's blond spikes with both hands. Cloud laughed and grabbed her arms, playfully pulling her away from him.

Blood-red eyes watched Cloud's hand linger on the ninja's waist.

Yuffie stiffened and quickly but discreetly pulled away. The red eyes followed Yuffie as she feigned a casual stroll towards the back door, then slinked out.

Vincent stood up and, with a dark-eyed glance in Cloud's direction, stalked through the door after her.

#

"Where are you going Cloud?"

Cloud shrugged on a black leather jacked and plopped a helmet on his head. "I just need to talk to Barret about some blueprints," he replied quickly, leaning over the bar counter to give a confused Tifa a quick kiss.

She stared at his back as he left the bar. _Motor biking in the rain? That's unlike Cloud…_

Tifa shook her head and turned back to the early-evening customers she was speaking to; she almost had a heart attack when she saw the other customers gone and Vincent sitting there. "Vodka," he said quietly.

_Oh God, he's glaring at me… perhaps I shouldn't look at him like he's a demon coming to eat me alive, he might actually do it!! No, Tifa, stop it. He's a man, not a monster; he's not going to hurt you. Calm the hell down!_

Tifa started to prepare his drink, ominous thoughts of where her customers went and how he took their places invading her determination to calm down.

Her hands shook both from frustration and from fear, so much so that she gave up, and pushed the vodka bottle and the glass to him in exasperation; she could not pour the drink.

He reached forward, rather icily, and poured himself the drink, his eyes never leaving her tired face. He saw the weariness change to thoughtfulness. Tifa turned to him.

"How come you didn't go with Cloud to see the blueprints?"

Looking into his blood eyes, she was almost sure she saw a flash of confusion there. _Well, that would be the first time I see emotion… _

"Blueprints?"

His one-word reply made her furrow her brows, but she quickly shrugged it off. _Cloud and Barret are like brothers. He probably wants to share the more detailed, more important parts of the construction with Cloud only…_

No matter how much Tifa tried to reassure herself, a little parasite of uncertainty drained her resolve. Vincent noticed that the furrow in her brow did not completely fade.

She only glanced at him when he rose, then turned back to her work, instead of eyeing him suspiciously. He stalked out the door.

#

"Send her, now."

The short, deep-voiced statement brought a nod of assent from Yuffie. She cradled the phone and quickly flitted to the kitchen. A large, plastic water bottle stood upon the counter. The ninja grabbed it and walked back to the bar, taking a breath to prepare herself.

"Um, Teef?" She began, faltering her voice forcefully, reflecting fear in her eyes. "Vincent – uh – forgot t-this…"

_Oh gosh, another 'Timid Yuffie Day'. Just what I need._

Tifa hid her thoughts behind a reassuring smile as she reached for the bottle. "I'll carry it Yuf, no worries. There's not much customers here, so take care of it."

Tifa stepped out into the heat of the humid aftermath of the previous stormy days, bottle in hand. It was two days since the vodka episode with Vincent, which was the last time she had spoken to him.

The day after that, with enough sun to start construction, the men officially started work, leaving home early in the morning and coming home late at night. They only had time to grab their stuff and go; it was natural for them to forget things.

_Though Vincent never hits me as 'natural.'_

Tifa walked into a noisy mass of dust, iron bars, construction equipment, scaffolding, coveralls and hardhats. All the male workers abandoned their work and whistled and shouted suggestive comments at the voluptuous young woman.

_Just wait 'till they see who my boyfriend is._ Tifa shook her head and smiled a little.

She glanced around the area, looking for the tall, ebony-haired man. Unable to find him, she wandered around a large build-up of scaffolding, only to come face to face with a cloud of dust.

She coughed and waved at the brown cloud until it cleared up, and she rounded a corner to come face to face, not with Vincent, but with a scene that punched solid shock right to her face.

Cloud. Bareback. Long, red-nailed fingers caressing his chest. Shapely legs entwined with his. Red lips devouring his neck.

A wicked grin of promise adorned his face as one of his hands grasped her metallic blonde hair and his other intimately caressed her breast.

The woman raised her head and giggled gleefully before pressing her lips to Cloud's, her hands traveling down his body.

All the air escaped from Tifa's lungs.

Her throat became dry.

A sharp, piercing pain wrenched her heart before everything went black before her eyes. She heard the plastic bottle clatter on the dirt ground and the gasp of the woman.

The last thing she felt before she blacked out were strong arms encircling her waist to catch her falling body.

#

When Tifa's eyelids fluttered open, she was lying, stomach down, on the sofa in the tiny living room she had upstairs. She lay there, motionless, for a while, trying to clear the cloudy jumble of her mind.

_Cloud…_

Tears welled up in Tifa's eyes as she remembered what she had seen. The shocking realization that her loving boyfriend, her Cloud, had betrayed her… it made her want to close her eyes and faint again.

_This isn't real… this isn't real…_

"Tifa?"

Yuffie's worried voice broke Tifa's thoughts; it broke her heart as well, for she knew now that everything was indeed real. She said nothing, but allowed her tears to wet the sofa, her face twisting in hopeless pain and sadness as sobs began to wrack her body.

"_Tifa you're so beautiful…" "Teef, you know I care," "I'm so lucky to have you Tifa," "Don't you question my feelings Teef…"_

_He never told me he loved me… Never said… anything like that… oh, how could I have been so stupid!?_

"Tifa…?"

Tifa raised red eyes to her ninja friend, and saw a cold hatred in her stormy eyes. "He wants to talk to you," Yuffie said, an angry frown sharpening her features.

"He's here."

**#**

**Ok. So chapter 1, Vincent scares Tifa, chapter 2, Cloud cheats on Tifa. Am I good so far? R&R **


	4. Chapter 3

Fantasy 7

**Chapter 3**

"Should I shoot him?! Because you know I -"

"Yuffie!" Tifa interrupted the ninja's angry and foolish outburst, raising her body to sit upright on the couch. She took a deep breath to prepare herself. "I'll just – tell h - him that it's over a - and that he has to – to leave…"

Her voice cracked and her eyes shimmered with tears, and she finally gave up, throwing herself helplessly into Yuffie's arms, allowing sobs to wrack her body.

"Teef, he's not worth crying for," Yuffie soothed, rubbing a comforting hand on her friend's back. Tifa could not retain the tears from burning trails down her cheeks, no matter how much Yuffie tried to console her.

Slowly and gradually, Tifa's crying subsided, and she wiped her cheeks with her hands, taking deep breaths to calm down. Yuffie stared deep into her reddened eyes. "Do you want me to tell him to leave?" Yuffie asked, slowly and steadily.

Tifa closed her eyes, feeling a sting coming from them. "No," she said quietly, stiffly shaking her head. She rose from the chair, wiping her cheeks again and squaring her shoulders.

"I have to do this myself."

She headed for the stairs. A very random and unexpected thought popped into her mind._ I wonder where Vincent is…_

She chided herself for not focusing on the problem at hand, and she glided down the stairs, exploding on the inside, but calm and collected on the out.

It was late evening, and the bar was empty; Yuffie had closed up early. _God, she's a great friend._ Tifa smiled a little, grateful that Yuffie, though childish, noisy, annoying at times and slightly crazy, could always manage to be so thoughtful.

She heard a clatter of dishes in the kitchen that caused her to glance towards it. Through the half-opened door she saw the unmistakable blond spikes belonging to the man she loved. He heart wrenched with pain. Oh how she loved him…

_Okay, here goes… _Tifa took a final deep breath and let it out slowly to calm the dancing nerves in her body.

Before she even placed her hand on the door to push it open, it was flung open from the other side, and Tifa felt herself being pulled into the warm and muscular arms she had grown so deeply to love, the very arms she now feared would break her resolve to kick the man she loved out of her house.

_Oh Cloud, please… please let me go…_

"Tifa, honey," Cloud said, tenderly.

Tifa felt him hug her close, clinging to her as if he would never let go. Tears pricked her eyes again at a mental picture of him with another woman. She cursed herself for her weakness.

It was hard for her to believe at that moment that he did not love her, did not care so deeply for her as she did for him. It took every ounce of her strength to pull herself away from him.

"Cloud," she began, taking yet another deep breath; her lungs were beginning to hurt. She looked at him straight in the eyes, those gorgeous Mako blue eyes with a sparkle so attractive…

It took quite a while for her to gather her thoughts. "I saw you – today – at the construction site… kissing – making love – to another woman -" "Tifa," Cloud interrupted, placing both hands on her trembling shoulders.

_Don't touch me Cloud._

"You know me Teef. Couldn't you tell that I was drunk?" He looked at her with pleading eyes. She stared back at him; his warm hands on her shoulders had her struck dumb. She did not know what to say.

A single tear escaped her eyes. Tenderly, he reached up and brushed the tear away, placing his hand on her cheek and pulling her forward with his other hand. _Oh God, no…_

He pulled her against him, their lips just barely touching. Tifa weakened; her bones melted within her body, and her strength went with it. "Tifa," Cloud whispered against her lips, caressing her cheek oh so gently. "Kiss me."

_Cloud…_

Tifa lunged forward and pressed her lips to his; she was unable to control or tamp down the fluttery feeling he created in her heart, or the exciting race of hot blood in her veins when he touched her, held her. She loved him, and that was that.

She did not protest when he crushed her body against his own, his lips traveling to his ear. Gently, tenderly, he played with her senses, nuzzling the velvety skin beneath her ear. She sighed and slipped her fingers into his hair, pulling him ever closer.

He became more forceful, hungrily pressing his lips to her neck. Her sighs quickly changed to moans as she held his head against her. There was no one else on this earth for her. There was only Cloud…

_**BOOM! BOOM, BOOM!**_

Tifa jumped up and gasped sharply at the ear-splitting, slightly weird-sounding but unmistakable crack of gunshots in the air. Cloud's whole body stiffened and she stared at his face, seeing a look of shock frozen there.

He staggered backwards, stiff and clumsy. Her eyes widened fully and she clamped a hand over her mouth. _Oh my –_

Her thought was cut off by a few more gunshots making Cloud's body jerk and twist forcefully. Her other hand pressed upon the first one over her mouth, and she desperately searched for strength within her to look around.

_Oh my gosh what the hell is going on gunshots and Cloud and Cloud's shot and I don't know and – oh my - _

Tifa's jumbled and rambling thoughts stopped short as she gasped in shock and fear; the origin of the gunshots stood in the doorway.

In front of the swinging kitchen door stood the red caped figure with flowing black hair clouding his face, save for blood-red eyes glittering with deadly furiousness and seriousness.

Vincent stood poised to shoot, triple barreled gun in hand, his head lowered; behind the collar of his cloak and the screen of his hair he hid, and his eyes glared at Cloud.

Tifa stood rooted to the spot, afraid to move lest he shoot again. "V – Vincent!?" She shrieked, anger, shock, fear and confusion meshing into one frantic and mind-boggling emotion as Tifa registered what had just happened.

"What the HELL is wrong with you!? How could you just shoot him like that? Are you out of your mind??" As she shouted a tirade at the motionless, expressionless man, her hands clenched tightly in fists and fury flaming in her eyes, she heard clamoring footsteps on the stairs. _Yuffie! _

"Yuffie?!" "Teef what in God's name is going on!?" the ninja screeched frantically. "Stay away from the kitchen!!" Tifa warned, and she heard Yuffie's footsteps stop. "Are you okay? I hear gunshots - " "JUST STAY THERE!!" Tifa screamed, just about ready to lose her mind.

She glared daggers at Vincent, waiting for an answer. He just stood there, not even looking at her. She decided to try again. "Vin-" She stopped as she saw slight stiffening in his frame and his head lower a little more. She gasped. "Don't shoot-"

Too late.

Tifa cringed at the gunshot, loud and ringing. Then she heard something else. _What the…? _She heard, not a shout of pain in Cloud's voice, but a monstrous and screeching bellow.

It was not the voice of her beloved, it was the agonizing shriek of a creature unknown. Fear-stricken, Tifa turned her head slowly, and almost fainted at the sight before her.

Cloud's lightly but attractively tanned skin was replaced with an unhealthy, bone–white pallor, and his beautiful, sparkly blue eyes slowly swirled between blue and dark purple, darkening into a frightful glare as it changed completely to a murky purple colour, as though filled with poison.

But it was his teeth that caused Tifa to whimper in fright. The incisors had doubled in length, and he bared them menacingly, then grimaced at the pain of the previous gunshot.

_Move, move, move, move, MOVE!! _

Tifa screamed inside her head, willing her limbs to listen to her. She whimpered again as Cloud, whatever creature he had become, glared straight at her, his back hunched and his hands formed like claws; he was an animal.

An evil leer replaced Cloud's grimace. Tifa rammed her hands further against her mouth, choking back the scream that threatened to escape, fearing that she would offend the creature further.

Tifa could barely hold back that scream when she saw the beast stand erect, straight and proud, the way Cloud usually would, and stretch out his arms, raising his head upwards, as if asking God for something.

_There is nothing Godly about that creature…_

A low, rumbling growl began to sound from the very core of the creature's being, and Tifa whimpered again. _What is he DOING…? What the hell is going on!?_

The growl became louder, crisper and scarier. Tifa was horrified, crazed, shocked, in disbelief and so much more. She still could not bring herself to move. She stared at the creature in front of her. The skin began to heat up; she could feel the searing heat on her skin.

She still could not move.

The growl had turned to a loud and nerve-rending roar. Cloud's eyes were open wide and his head thrown back, as if enjoying the frightening interlude. Tifa choked back a startled shriek as she saw what was going on.

Through some insane, supernatural power, Cloud was forcing the now flattened bullets that Vincent had fired out of his body. Tifa's legs shook with fear and shock and disbelief as she saw little objects protruding from various points in Cloud's body.

_This is NOT happening. I'm in a nightmare, this is NOT real…_

These thoughts raced up and down in Tifa's mind as she looked on. The disc-like shape of the bullets protruded more and more, shifting and moving and wriggling until one by one they dropped out of bloody bullet holes and onto the hardwood floor, blood covered. Another whimper escaped Tifa's lips, and her mind threatened to abandon her in blackout again.

Slowly, the monstrous being straightened up. It seemed now to be composed, and tears streamed form Tifa's eyes as she saw what used to be her boyfriend, standing there, who was just a minute ago was a growling beast. The stress of the predicament was too much for her. She just stood there, unable to move, speak or blink; she simply let the tears flow freely.

Cloud calmly looked at Tifa, and as his gaze shifted to Vincent, a glint of revenge shone in his eyes. The long teeth bared as it hissed at the man, and Vincent gripped his gun. Then Cloud grimaced as he lifted his hand to a bullet wound on his shoulder.

Vincent took his opportunity.

He fired shot after shot after shot, and Cloud writhed in pain, growling and roaring in so much agony. His body fell momentarily to the ground, but before Vincent could shoot again, Cloud jumped up and, with one swift movement, leaped through the window above the sink, growling in pain as he retreated.

Vincent's frown deepened, but he made no attempt to chase the creature. He holstered his gun and turned his blood colored eyes to Tifa.

Tifa stared, wide – eyed, at the window through which Cloud had jumped. She slowly turned to face Vincent, her hands still pressed against her lips. Vincent's eyes, cold and red, seemed to glare in silent disappointment at her foolishness.

_How stupid could I have been to let him get to me? _

Her cheeks reddened in embarrassment, and she turned and ran, past a peeking Yuffie whose shock did not waver even as Tifa jostled her. Tifa ran from the horrors, the pain and embarrassment, all the way up to her room.


	5. Chapter 4

F6VS

**Chapter 4**

"Tifa."

The deep-voiced word silenced the sobbing brunette as she jerked around on her bed, startled. Though she had quickly come to recognize it, the depth of that masculine voice never failed to shock her.

_He said my name…_

The word sounded queer in his voice. She looked expectantly at him, her mouth open and her lips trembling, her eyes red and puffy. Vincent surprised her even more by seating himself on the bed next to her, his eyes fixed on her red face.

"He's possessed," he stated simply. Tifa's mouth snapped shut at the abruptness of his words. "P-possessed? By what?" Tifa enquired haltingly, her voice scratchy with the pain of all her sobbing.

"It's a vampire, one that probably has a grudge on your bloodline," he continued, speaking in his monotonic voice as if they were having a normal conversation. He removed his triple barreled gun from its holster.

_That is a freaky huge gun… why does he move with that thing??_ "My – My bloodline…?" she asked uncertainly, her delicately arched brows furrowing.

She looked on, rather impatiently, as he manipulated the gun, taking it apart, removing the bullets. Her eyes widened at the size of the bullets, they were huge.

She watched his pale, long-fingered hand remove a small, clean piece of black velvet from his pocket. He began to clean the gun.

_What the hell is he talking about?_

"You're a Lockheart," he said in explanation. "Why is that significant?" she questioned, curious now. "I don't know anything about my ancestors, I was orphaned… H-how do you know about me?"

Her eyes never left his hand, marveling at the expertise with which Vincent handled the complicated weapon. _It's a precious object to him… _The thought lingered in her mind as she watched the care with which he handled it.

Quickly and easily, he slid the parts of the gun back into one, ending with a loud click which snapped Tifa out of her reverie. She looked up to see that his blood-red eyes were not even on his activity, but on her.

He startled her yet again when he held the gun out to her in his claw. "It's called Cerberus," he said. With an uncertain and shaking hand, Tifa took the weapon from him, her hand dropping considerably at its weight.

_His hand must be strong to hold and handle this weight so easily… _Her eyes darted to his human hand, the long, pale fingers. She saw strength in them. Then she looked at the claw with some curiosity and also some sympathy. _It must be hard…_

She looked at the gun in her hand; it was beautiful, large and smooth to the touch, silver and triple barreled, and very powerful indeed.

"I feel that I cannot fully explain this on my own," he said slowly, his crimson eyes piercing into hers with intense seriousness. She waited expectantly, wondering what he would propose.

"For you to understand and believe me, we must go on a journey."

His words were short and abrupt, and she was taken aback. _A journey…? _"W-where? Why?" she asked, unsure of what to say. "We must visit a man who knows all about the Bloodwars," Vincent explained, taking his gun from her.

"Please do not ask any questions. All will be answered when we get there." Vincent rose from the bed. "But where are we going?" Tifa asked stubbornly, determined not to waver until he told her.

_How dare he order me around like this without giving me proper information?_

"It is a small secluded place in the mountain range not far from here," he said shortly. "We will leave in the morning if you have no objections." Tifa gasped at the abruptness of it all, but nodded, not knowing what to think anymore about these terrifying happenings.

As Vincent turned to leave, a sudden thought hit her. "Vincent?" she said, softly, stopping him in the doorway. He turned his head to the side, his back towards her. "I-if Cloud was… possessed… is it possible that…" she took a deep breath, then blurted it out.

"Is it possible that he didn't cheat on me, that he was under the control of the – vampire?" She said the last word with a shaky voice; the word definitely scared her. She bent her head and waited for a deep-voiced reply, anticipating yet dreading it.

"No Teef."

The voice was not Vincent's, but Yuffie's; evidently, she had been passing by and had heard her question. Tifa raised her eyes but not her head. The little ninja looked uncomfortable; Tifa could see that she had a lot to tell.

"Cloud's made advances on me before Teef," Yuffie said, and Tifa jerked her head up, eyes wide and in disbelief. Yuffie had tears in her eyes. "I wanted to tell you but – but…"

"I'm so sorry Tifa, I – I'm – I'm -" She could take it no more. Yuffie Kisaragi, female ninja, began to cry. Sobs of guilt and pain at being sexually harassed escaped the poor girl's being; she was so young, and she had never felt so violated.

"Oh Yuffie," Tifa sighed, tears once again pricking her eyes at the sight of her poor friend crying with such intensity. _I cried so freaking much today. Now Yuffie's crying… This is scary… _Yuffie collapsed into Tifa's outstretched arms.

"It's okay honey, you were probably so scared. So scared…" Tifa soothed the young girl, accepting it within that her boyfriend loved her not. She took a breath and looked up at the red-eyed man standing in the doorway.

He nodded at her, she nodded back, and then he was gone.

#

"Everything's ready."

Tifa looked up at Vincent as he entered the kitchen, heading towards to coffee maker. As he poured himself a cup, Tifa told him of her preparations.

"I've packed clean water and canned food, matches, a small kettle, weapons, clothes-" "That won't be necessary," Vincent interrupted, startling her. _Why in the hell would clothes NOT be necessary? _

"It's a two-day walk. We must travel lightly," he explained. Tifa looked outside; the sky was clear and blue; there would be no rain that day. "Well if it's only one night then we can survive," Tifa agreed, pulling out the clothing from the small backpack.

The bag became considerably smaller.

Tifa looked at him; he was dressed the same: dark pants and boots and red cowl on his shoulders, buckled at the collar, and a red bandana on his forehead, keeping some of his long loose hair out of his eyes. As he turned to her, the cowl swung away from his hip to expose a belt holding, not one, but various guns.

_Well at least I know I've got a good bodyguard, those guns can kill anything. _

She was dressed in knee length, baggy black pants and a black, form-fitting sleeveless vest; comfortable and easy to move in. Comfortable but strong black sneakers were on her feet for the hike when they reached the mountain range, about a day away from Seventh Heaven if they cut through the back through the bushes.

"Weapons?" he questioned. "My gloves, a few daggers and small shuriken, and some basic materia. Most are healing materia though," she answered. He nodded.

"Tifa, are you gonna be okay?" Yuffie ran quickly into the kitchen and bumped into Vincent's back. "Oops, sorry Vincent," she threw the apology over her shoulder as she turned to Tifa.

_Well she's not scared of him anymore… Good for HER…_

"We'll only be gone for two days Yuf, I'll be fine," Tifa reassured her for the umpteenth time, still unsure of what would really happen. _I don't even know where we're going, and I have to trust none but the word of this scary red-eyed dude… Still, I don't know what the hell is happening, so I might as well follow whatever lead I get…_

"What's going on Teef?" Yuffie asked frantically, grasping her friend's shoulders. "I saw what happened last night, that was so – so scary Tifa, what-" "Yuffie," Tifa interrupted gently, placing her hands on Yuffie's flushed cheeks, "I – I don't know what to tell you… but I'm going with Vincent to figure this out. I promise I'll explain everything when I understand what's going on, when I get back."

Yuffie tightly shut her eyes, and when she opened them, they were wide and full of fear. "Okay Tifa. Good luck."

After giving Yuffie instructions to keep the bar closed and to take care of Marlene and Denzel, the two kids she took care of for Cloud's employer, Barret, she and Vincent set out.

They went out around to the back of the bar, through the small yard they had there to the wire fence that surrounded Tifa's small home and business place. Vincent placed his hand and claw on Tifa's waist, causing her to jump. _God Tifa, calm down. _

Her eyes widened when she felt herself being steadily lifted without a waver, and soon she was over the fence. She felt a strange tingle again in her waist where his hand was, but shook it off. She watched him climb over the fence with similar ease, and he landed gracefully on his feet next to her. _Whoa…_

The stood looking at a large expanse of tall grass and bushes and trees; there was, however, a small, crooked path going through the brush that many men, including Cloud and Barret, had worn down during curious explorations. Tifa had never gone with them, though she knew of the path.

They set out walking through brush and grass, trees and shrubs. As Vincent walked calmly and quietly next to Tifa, she couldn't help looking at him, examining him more closely. He kept his eyes forward, glancing now and then at the surroundings, keeping an eye out for trouble.

She looked again at the forbidding claw. He had swept the cowl over his right shoulder to keep it out of the way, exposing his left arm. The claw ended at his elbow and his shirt sleeve was short, leaving a small rectangle of pale skin bare.

She noticed that that pale skin was interrupted by a black crustiness, seeming to come from under the claw. _His arm underneath the claw is damaged… It looks burnt… I wonder where this guy's from, how does he know… about this… Who is he?_

"Adamus Mordre," Vincent said, startling Tifa out of her thoughts. "Who?" Tifa asked, noticing his eyes on her. _How long was he looking at me? His darn hair blocks his eyes…_ Tifa's cheeks flushed at the thought that he may have been watching her as she conducted her perusal of him.

"Adamus Mordre was a member of the Lockheart Legacy," Vincent continued, deciding to tell her a little of the man she was going to see. "Legacy…?" she asked, her eyes glistening with curiosity. _My family was a legacy…?_

"Adamus was not loyal to the Lockhearts. He betrayed them by giving the vampires information of the Lockhearts' plans to attack them during the legendary Bloodwars." Tifa looked helplessly at Vincent, not understanding a thing.

"You will understand. Adamus possesses documents. I met him while sheltering in these mountains the night before coming to your home looking for Cloud. Adamus was promised immortality by the vampires if he told them about the Lockhearts' strategies.

The Lockhearts discovered this, and they sent him into immortal exile; to live forever, but in a place where life does not exist. He is cursed, doomed to stay in those mountains forever. He cannot leave there. He cannot die. That is why he is still there. That is why he knows about the Bloodwars. That is why you will believe everything in his words."

Tifa was confused. She still did not fully understand what Vincent had said. _Lockheart Legacy? Vampires? Bloodwars? My family was – a part of all this? _"I hope you're right, because I'm having trouble processing all of this so suddenly," Tifa replied. Vincent nodded.

The continued their walk, the bright, blue, sunny sky fading quickly to orangey-pink, then the dull blue-black of dusk, until they arrived at the foot of the mountains.

"Wow its gotten dark pretty quickly," Tifa commented, looking up at the first stars beginning to freckle the sky. She shivered; the warmth of the day gone by had given way to a chilly spring night, and her sleeveless clothing did nothing to help her.

"There is a cave in the rocks overhead," Vincent pointed towards the rocky area in front of them, and sure enough, Tifa saw a black area where he pointed; an opening.

"I've been cutting little sticks of firewood while we were walking," Tifa said, patting her backpack where she had stored them. "Good," Vincent replied, "It will be getting cold."

They made their way towards the cave. The terrain had now become rough and rocky, and Tifa only now realized how tired her legs were as she struggled over smooth and pointed rocks, being careful not to slip or pierce her feet. Vincent seemed unperturbed as he glided easily over the rocks.

_Does anything get that guy down!? I wish I could be like that…_

Soon they reached the little cave, which was barely high enough for Tifa to stand. Vincent had to bend down a good bit, until he just sat down on the surprisingly clean sandy ground. Tifa did the same, and removed the sticks from her bag.

She proceeded to pile them up in a little heap. Then she scratched a match and dropped it in the middle of the pile; they lit up easily. The warm, orange-yellow glow hit her face with glorious comfort. She put her hands out in front of the steadily rising flame, warming her skin.

She smiled at the comfort of it, and then looked up at Vincent. He had not moved from where he was seated at the mouth of the tiny cave.

_What's he looking at?_

He was looking up at the sky, a more serious look on his face than usual. "Uh, Vincent?" she said softly, hoping that she was not disturbing him. _He still scares me, the way he just shot Cloud down without a second thought… _

He turned his head. The firelight lit up his face in profile, making his eyes glint even redder than it usually did. It looked like a ruby hiding behind a velvet sheet of thick hair. _Wow, that's… that's actually kind of nice looking…_

"Tifa." The word made her jump, and she shook her head and looked at him again. "What is it?" he asked. "Oh, uh – the fire's warm enough, you can come closer if you like," she said, furrowing her brows in confusion at the flush of her cheeks. _Was I just staring at him? _

He nodded his head once, then rose, keeping the trunk of his body bent as he got up; he approached the fire. He sat opposite her, closing his eyes at the fire's warmth. _Well, he's human all right, because he feels cold…_

"Umm, why don't you take a nap?" Tifa suggested, kindly. "I'll keep watch, and I'll wake you-" "It's okay," Vincent interrupted, his red eyes glittering at her in the light. "Sleep. You're tired."

"O-okay…" afraid to refuse him anything, she turned away from him and lay down on her side, her back facing him. She felt as though his eyes were on her. _Why would he be looking at me? Gosh Teef, you're letting your imagination run too far. It's so cold… _

She shivered and rubbed her hand against her arm, wondering why the fire wasn't effective enough. Suddenly she felt a warm, soft, comfortable material on top of her; the cowl. She looked at it with surprise.

_When did he get up? I didn't hear him. That is so freaky…_

"Uh – thank you," she murmured, fixing the piece of clothing better around herself to warm her. _It smells … good… _

She did not bother to look back and see where he was. Several thoughts flitted through her mind as she allowed sleep to take over her senses.

_I guess if he wanted to hurt me, he would have done it already… Okay, so Vincent is not an enemy… … … I hope._


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

_**Tifa closed her eyes and sighed in complete contentment as she rested her head on the shoulder of the one she loved; they swayed slowly, gently to the soft sound of instruments drifting around her ears, separating and mingling and becoming a sea of music.**_

_**The warmth of his body wrapped her in comfort; she giggled as playful lips touched her shoulder, bare from the strapless dress she wore. She raised her head and cast a chiding look at her dance partner.**_

_**His Mako blue eyes sparkled cheerfully and a handsome smile graced Cloud's lips. "Tifa," he said, softly, gently, lovingly. Her features softened as she offered one of her own dazzling smiles to him.**_

_**She raised her wine-colored eyes to his, admiring the captivating beauty of the shimmering blue orbs. As she stared at them, her smile slowly began to waver as she noticed something unusual… and terrifying.**_

_**The edges of his irises seemed to darken. Was it just her imagination…? No, definitely not. From those darkened edges, a new colour began to swirl. Suddenly, with alarming rapidity, dark, murky, poison–like purple shrouded the cheerful blue of her boyfriend's eyes.**_

_**She gasped as his grip on her waist tightened painfully, and involuntarily shrieked out as a bone-chilling leer broke out of the previously sweet smile on Cloud's face. But it was not the leer which made her shriek, it was the menacing fangs, long and sharp, which sprouted from beneath his lips, changing the leer to a wild snarl. **_

_**With rough hands he pulled her body to his, baring his teeth maliciously, slipping strong, persistent arms around her waist, and cutting off all escape. Tifa screamed as another menacing snarl escaped his lips, and she struggled in vain to get away, but could not, she could not.**_

_**A lithe tongue flicked over this animal's lips as he hungrily eyed Tifa's slim, white and bare neck. "N-no!" she choked out as he leaned towards her. She stiffened her body and struggled within his arms, but she felt helpless. **_

_**It was as if all her knowledge of self defense had left her, it had all disappeared from her memory.**_

_**She could not fight against the strong, persistent arms for long, and she found herself pressed against him, her head pulled back and her neck in full vulnerability. He wasted no time in pressing his hungry lips to her exposed flesh, moistening it with a ravenous tongue before baring his teeth with a hiss…**_

"_Tifa. Tifa," Tifa gasped as her eyes flew open in a panic. She blinked several times, her eyes feeling as though they had sand in them. She saw a figure with long ebony hair and blood eyes leaning over her. She had no idea where she was. It was dark, but yet she saw his face clear as day._

"_V-Vincent? What the hell…" she murmured almost unintelligibly, still confused and half asleep. "Nightmare," he said simply, in his deep, monotonic voice. "Are you alright?"_

"_Huh? Y-yeah, I'll be…" her words faltered a little as she noticed that his normally serious facial expression seemed to change, but to what expression, she did not know. "Fine… I'll be – fine in a … minute…" _

_Her sentence was finished in a husky whisper as she saw his lips curve upwards and his eyes widen ever so slightly. The colour of his eyes darkened considerably._

_Sexual desire…? _

_Her breathing came in short, labored gasps as she realized that it was not sexual desire, but a desire indeed it was. Fearful tears pricked her eyes and blurred her vision, but not enough for her to miss the growth of the small smile on his face to a vile grin._

_In terrifying slow-motion, she watched in horror as his incisors lengthened into sharp, pointed, menacing sabre-teeth. She cried out when he pinned her wrists above her head, holding her helplessly to the floor where she lay._

_He bent his head towards her and nudged her chin upwards to allow himself access to the slim column of her neck. Savoring every moment of her terror, he hissed as he bared his fangs, leaning closer and closer until she could feel the cold, sharp, hard points of the teeth against her hot and sweat-covered skin._

"Tifa. Tifa!"

A dry throated gasp escaped Tifa's equally dry lips as she sat up with a jolt and reached behind her to grasp a small dagger in defense. On instinct, she slashed her arm in front of her to slice the hand approaching her, but said hand caught her arm with alarming swiftness.

"Stop," she heard the deep, masculine voice command with confident authority; her breath caught in her throat in immediate obedience. Her wide, wine colored eyes focused on Vincent kneeling in front of her; she eyed him warily.

_Didn't he just wake me up and turn to a monster?? _

Vincent sensed her awareness as well as her confusion. "Nightmare," was all he said in explanation. "You said that the first time!" Tifa shrieked in frustration, unable to decipher dreams from reality. Reality was already a nightmare, it seemed.

She saw his brow lift slightly in question. "You're NOT a vampire… right?" The last word came out in a frightened squeak. The brow dropped and he closed his blood eyes. He sighed, and Tifa glimpsed a hint of impatience etched within his features.

_Guess he is human, with real feelings… and real annoyance on my part right now. _

Tifa brought her knees up to her chin and dropped her dagger, her arm resting on a knee and her wrist still within his grasp. His long fingers had long since slackened since their initial encounter. Tifa found it a surprisingly gentle touch.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, barely audible. His eyes opened and focused on her; their redness still shocked her, as well as his ability to keep them completely devoid of emotion. "That dream…in it – you woke me up and…" "I was a vampire," he finished knowingly for her.

She nodded, now feeling guilty for not trusting him.

She reached behind her again, this time pulling her small backpack towards her. She pulled out two shiny red apples, throwing one to him. He caught it with perfect reaction time and picked up the dagger she had previously dropped, swiping it on his cowl which still blanketed her against the chilly morning. A warm glow entered the cavern; morning was already clear.

Tifa looked on out of the corner of her eye as he cut thin slices of the apple and slipped them into his mouth; he ate like a real gentleman. She, on the other hand, bit out of the whole apple, savoring the sweetness of it.

"There's a small hiking path going up the other side of this hill," Vincent explained quickly to her, rising and throwing his apple core out the cave. Tifa looked on at the ripple of strong muscles under his black, form fitting muscle shirt. He was a broad shouldered, strong, well built man. _Wow…_

"We must leave at once," he said shortly, breaking her trance. She nodded quickly and disposed of her apple core. She removed the cowl from her shoulders and gave it to him; he shrugged it on and lead her out of the cave, and then around the hill to the back of it.

The back of the hill bore the beginnings of a grassy slope, though it was not quite there yet. It was not rocky, like the front, but was in fact entirely of soil. _I suppose those rocks were probably excavated from somewhere and placed there years ago…_

There was a good amount of grass and small bushes growing, and even a few trees, though they were very well spaced out.

"Okay," she said with a sigh, "Let's go."

She and Vincent climbed up the hill; luckily, the sun had risen on the other side of it, so they did not need to succumb to its blistering rays. The trudge was surprisingly easy; she wondered if any other people had come there before, although the 'path' Vincent had spoken about was only a matter of a few feet trampling it along the way; it was not nearly as weather-beaten as the path behind her house.

_But if people were here, wouldn't they have found this Adamus guy? _

She soon saw why no one had found Adamus, save for Vincent. Up ahead, she could see that the trees were becoming more and more, and also grew closer together… considerably closer together. The scatter of trees quickly turned into clumps here and there, with the odd few separating them.

They walked right up to a tight clump of trees. To Tifa's surprise Vincent stopped directly in front of it. _Why are we stopping?_

Tifa's eyes widened in shock as he parted the foliaged branches in front of him and stepped in between the trees. Tifa followed close behind, in awe at the deception she had just beheld. From the outside, the clump of seemed like any other, bundled tight together. To her complete and total amazement, there was a small opening between the trees; it was as though someone had planted the trees in a small, rough circle to conceal something.

"Years ago, when Adamus was exiled here," Vincent explained, noting her amazement, "The Lockhearts planted the trees on this hillside to conceal him from all outsiders."

_Then how did YOU find him?_

"I found him by accident," Vincent said, as if reading her thoughts. "It was raining, if you recall, and I was searching for shelter among the trees when I came across this opening." She nodded, then looked on as he stooped down; the position may have been awkward for others, but he was just downright graceful.

She watched him with a questioning look pasted on her face. She did not merit an explanation, it seemed, for he ignored her completely. He ran his hand slowly along the dirt ground in a straight line before changing direction, cutting a complete ninety degree angle, as if he was drawing a box on the floor.

She should have seen it coming.

He shocked her yet again when his fingers gripped on something buried in the loose soil, and she gasped audibly when he rose up an expertly concealed door.


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

The trap door wasn't very big, only about a meter squared. The black square looked conspicuous enough lying on the undulating dirt floor in the center of a clump of trees, but the sight of Vincent disappearing through it almost made her laugh at its weirdness. _Okay… here goes…_

Her padded boot made a soft thump on a step when she lowered it in. _Stone…_ She had half expected it to be dirt. Slowly, carefully, she descended the staircase there, into the darkness. Her outstretched hands found cold hard stone walls on both sides of her, forming a downward corridor.

"Close the door."

She jumped at the resounding echo of Vincent's deep voice in the very dim light. She nodded stiffly, just making out the silhouette of his pale face below her. She had no way of determining the distance between them.

She reached up and pulled the heavy trap door down; it slammed shut with a loud echoing crash which threw Tifa off balance. She fell back with a yelp and came into solid contact with a hard wall of muscle. She felt him give way beneath her and they proceeded to tumble down the thankfully small staircase. They collapsed in pitch darkness.

_Oww… God where the heck am I? ...Vincent…_

"Vincent?" she whispered softly. She was lying on her stomach, and the surface below her was soft and cloth-like. She almost had a heart attack when said surface heaved upwards and a band of heat slipped around her slim waist. Just then a light flickered several times, then slowly came on with a small hum.

Vincent… was the surface below her.

She had landed smack dab on top of him. But what was even more shocking was the distance between them. _Oh my… my, my… _It was only now that Tifa discovered the length and sharpness of Vincent's nose. Their noses were touching ever so lightly, their lips bare centimeters apart. Looking into those deep crimson pools of blood, Tifa saw Vincent's eyes darken and felt his arms tighten around her waist. She shivered, feeling neither discomfort nor disgust, and surprisingly not fear. Her body went numb even as Vincent remained emotionless, save for his eyes darkened with… want?

_Is… is he – _

"Am I interrupting something?"

Tifa gasped and, with swift reflex action, scrambled off of Vincent and stood up, hands behind her back and her eyes lowered in embarrassment. Vincent rose, swiftly and gracefully, nest to her. His cowl brushed her bare arm; she got goosebumps from the weathered, coarse fabric.

"I didn't realize you indulged in matters of the flesh, and that too in random places Valentine." The crude comment was flung at Vincent in a youthful, sharp and teasing English accent. "Adamus," Vincent replied coolly, "This is Tifa… Tifa Lockheart."

Tifa raised her eyes. She did not at first see him; instead she took in her surroundings. It was bleak. _Immortal exile huh?_ The walls were cold grey stone, and Adamus's furniture was limited to a small battered bed, a table which was set with various vials of colored fluids, and two heavy bookshelves laden with old but well-taken-care-of books and parchments.

"I'm not usually graced with visitors, but you've really given these eyes of mine quite a feast Valentine," the youthful voice said, laced with both humor and admiration. Tifa finally settled her eyes on Adamus Mordre.

_Well, that wasn't what I was expecting…_

Adamus Mordre did not appear more than 20 years of age. He held the appearance of a young knight of olden times – shoulder-length, black, straight hair framed a rather handsome and grinning face. He was wearing a red tunic and black pants, both of rough fabric. Around his neck hung a thin gold cord upon which hung a round gold disc the diameter of a soda can, engraved with an uppercase letter L in an intricate Old English font. Considering the cheap outlook of his garb, the necklace was stolen.

"So you're the mysterious last Lockheart… quite the ravishing beauty, I daresay," Adamus grinned, stepping up to Tifa and taking her hand in his. As he raised her slim fingers to his lips, she eyed Vincent, warily, but he was too engrossed in perusing the bookshelves to notice.

His face bore an expression, and seeing as that face barely did so, Tifa couldn't help but observe him. His brow was furrowed ever so slightly, sharpening his already rigid masculine features. She found herself staring at his profiled face, entranced by his unusual and fascinating appearance.

"Ahh," Adamus voiced, making her jump and snap her eyes to him; a mock expression of disappointment graced his boyishly handsome face. "The Valentine has already won your pretty heart, I fear."

Tifa gasped softly and her face involuntarily reddened, but she managed to frown and wrinkle her nose in what she hoped was distaste. She averted her gaze from both men.

"Tell her what you told me, Adamus," Vincent said shortly. Tifa turned around, ready to learn about the family she never had nor thought about, the family she never dreamed would put her in a position like this. _The Last Lockheart…_

Adamus joined Vincent by the bookshelf and they both skimmed the dusty spines until Adamus reached forward and pulled out a large, thick hardcover book. He walked to the center of the small cavern and dropped the book on the floor. Tifa stared at its simple beauty. The cover was plain black, emblazoned with a large golden L, the same L engraved on Adamus's necklace.

"I've no drawing room, so the floor will have to do," Adamus joked, dropping to his knees in front of the book. He settled on his heels and threaded his fingers into the pages, opening the book some distance inside. Tifa sat next to Vincent, opposite Adamus. Vincent's dominating presence clouded her mind for a moment. Adamus opened the book and turned it around for her to see the picture that the page bore.

The man staring back at her possessed Tifa's wine colored eyes and small, smiling lips. He sat regally on a chair surrounded by rich tapestries; his facial expression seemed to say, "I will treat you well if you do not question me." His white hair and lined face betrayed his age, but he held himself with a confidence that was admirable.

"Magnus Lockheart," Adamus said; his voice held a hint of admiration and respect; Tifa looked at him and saw it also reflected in his eyes. "This is like, my great, great, great, great, great grandfather, or something?" she asked, her eyes reverting to the picture. "Well it's a lot more 'greats' than that, but you've got the idea," Adamus said. He cleared his throat and began his tale.

"No one really knows how it all started, but since I was born, there was always a war between vampires and mortals. Vampires wanted blood, and the Lockhearts weren't about to give up the human race for it. When I was seven years old, I met him. I was speechless in front of this great man, who risked his life for the sake of mortals. He smiled and patted my back, and then promised my dear mother that I would work for him when I was of the right age. He was a right sight younger then, tall, strong and confident. He passed all of these, his eyes and his raven hair, to you I see." Adamus smiled at her, and Tifa returned it.

Adamus took the book and turned a few pages to another picture, this one spanning the width of two pages. The picture depicted a savage scene in which devilish creatures – the vampires, Tifa presumed – fought against the force evidently led by the Lockhearts, as a flag emblazoned with the golden L flew from the midst of the force. Tifa pressed her hand to her mouth as the haunting memory of Cloud as a vampire filled her memory. She could see his greedy leer staring back at her from the faces of the vampires in the book. She jumped when Adamus continued.

"When I was sixteen, my mother was killed in the crossfire of vampire and Lockheart. Magnus took me in and first taught me simple things, cleaning the weapons, tending to the stables, that kind of thing. As the years passed he had more and more work to do as the vampires multiplied, and less and less time for me. I suppose that's what made me betray him." Adamus's eyes fell. Tifa could tell he was regretful, but she did not press the matter as he went on.

"Soon he began to trust me, my strength and vigor, and as I turned eighteen he made me his personal scribe and messenger. I would send his personal messages to his men-at-arms. I knew everything. All his plans and ideas, his means of attack and his ambushes, he entrusted them all to me. One day as I was at this very task, I was intercepted by a vampire.

She offered me a chance to save my life, and I accepted. I betrayed Magnus's loyalty and told her of all his plans. He had planned a flawless ambush that was to kill scores of unsuspecting vampires. The ambush became an all-out war, and it was there, there that I saw Magnus Lockheart give his life to kill the vampire warlord, Broderick Accursius. That same crucifix you wear around your neck was within the body of that evil warlord." Adamus gestured to the pendant that hung around her neck.

Tifa touched it, in awe at the ancient history of this sacred artifact she wore everyday around her neck. _W-wow… _"He embedded it into Broderick's very being, and the impact of his power against Broderick's resistance was too much for his body to take. Magnus died with quiet dignity. Broderick's death carried with it all the will of the vampires to fight. The Lockhearts conquered, and the vampires were believed extinct. "

"Does the crucifix still possess some power, Adamus?" Vincent asked. His deep voice reverberated through her. Adamus flipped through the book until he came to a drawing of the crucifix, with several annotations beside it.

"It says here that the crucifix is known to contain the great power of confidence of Magnus himself," Adamus read, "Only the true blood of a Lockheart, with the extreme desire for power, can unleash the secrets of the crucifix." Adamus glanced at the artifact hanging around Tifa's neck. "My guess is, if a vampire were to get its hands on that crucifix, and obtain a droplet or two of a Lockheart's blood…"

"We'd all die," Tifa said shortly. Adamus nodded and said, "Would explain why Magnus passed it down the family tree." Tifa fingered the crucifix, and then took it off. She flipped it over and over in her hand, squinting at it as if trying to figure out a jigsaw puzzle. She suddenly paused. In the middle of the cross was something she had never noticed before.

_A… a button?_

Curious, she pressed down on a small knob, about the size of a lentil, protruding ever so slightly from the flatness of the crucifix. She almost dropped it when a tiny spike flipped out of the bottom of the cross. "A… It's a needle," she muttered in wonder. Adamus looked down into his book. "This needle," he said to her, drawing her attention, "This needle is how Magnus was able to penetrate Broderick's skin. There's a note here that hints that this needle, if used correctly, can not only kill, but…"

He trailed off.

"But what?" Vincent demanded quietly. Adamus looked up with wonder and awe shimmering in his aqua eyes. "…But also the opposite. If the Lockheart using it wishes to heal, he or she need only -" Adamus took a breath – "need only pierce the object to be healed with the will in the mind to… to heal…"

Tifa stared at the spike. _I can…can heal…? _Her gaze involuntarily went to Vincent's golden claw. _I wonder…_ "No," she heard his deep voice slice through her speculation. "We should try it," Tifa protested, holding up the tiny spike to his blood-eyed gaze. "The least it can do is pinch a little. I mean once I don't think of killing you, you won't die, right Adamus?"

Adamus nodded. "That's for sure. You must have the intent to do something in order for it to work," he said confidently. Tifa's eyes flashed with excitement. "Vincent… I need to know for sure if it works. This is the only thing that can stop Cloud. Please…" She pleaded with her eyes.

Vincent stared at the spike. His eyes betrayed nothing of his thoughts. Tifa grew exasperated.

Then, he closed his eyes and, to Tifa's growing delight, he placed his human hand upon his claw.


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"Oh my gosh…"

Tifa's eyes widened and a shaky hand covered her mouth. Vincent looked away from her.

"Well that must've hurt," Adamus said matter-of-factly. Tifa glared at him. "Mr. Sensitivity, you are," she chided before flashing a sympathetic look at Vincent, who, to her surprise, was now looking at her. _He looks so… so different… He looks almost helpless… _

Tifa and Adamus were staring at Vincent's arm, now uncovered by the forbidding claw. Tifa had never seen anything so grueling. She could not imagine the pain he must have been through. His arm from elbow down was a black, shriveled, mangled mess. She could not see any semblance of fingers at the end of what was once a hand. His skin tissues were scorched beyond recognition.

"W-what happened?" Tifa dared to ask. Vincent shot her a glare that could have killed Broderick Accursius himself. She gasped and recoiled. He looked away.

"You must first clear your mind," Adamus instructed. Tifa shifted her body closer to Vincent's arm and folded her legs. Closing her eyes, she cleansed her mind of all thoughts – the image of Vincent's arm, of Cloud, of the vampire he had become, of the crucifix and its mysterious needle.

"Think of healing. Imagine what the injured arm looks like. Imagine it turning into his human hand. Concentrate Tifa," Adamus's voice had lowered to a dull whisper, as if in fear that his voice would break the anxiety of it all. Tifa's brows furrowed as she concentrated.

_Human hand, human hand, human hand… human… human…_

Slowly, she opened her eyes. She was met with blood colored orbs which still held a hint of the previous glare, though it had softened considerably. She tore her eyes away from his strange and bewitching gaze and looked at his pitiful excuse for a limb. Sympathy emanated from her.

She raised the intricate, beautiful silver crucifix, right above his arm. With a swift, downward movement, she pierced him.

Vincent didn't even flinch. He was unwavering, just as Tifa had expected. She stared at her pendant, the only memento she possessed to represent her family, the pendant she loved and cherished as a real treasure, standing straight and upright upon the burnt surface. She could not tear her eyes away from it. She still concentrated, imagining him with both arms, strong and muscular, the long, lean fingers cleaning his guns, holding a vodka glass, holding her wrist…

She gasped a little and grabbed onto Adamus's arm. He laid his hand upon her arm as well, seeing it too. From the bottom of the crucifix where the needle protruded, a flicker of blue light emanated. With wide eyes and hopeful hearts Adamus and Tifa watched the light slowly, deliberately begin to spread.

The light crept out from under the crucifix and crawled up the lines of Vincent's veins, spreading out, contrasting with the black burn, slowly, slowly. Tifa's grip became tighter of Adamus's arm.

_It's working… It's working!! _

Her excitement piqued when the light veins reached his hand where his fingers used to be. The light suddenly exploded, shining brightly and spreading out of the veins into a sheen. Tifa blocked her eyes for a moment. When she was able to look again, she saw that the sheen of light had formed itself into a definite silhouette of a hand, a human hand.

Soon enough, the veins of light which covered his entire arm began to spread, covering the whole burnt surface until the light formed a blue arm from elbow to hand. Tifa stared at it, a smile tugging persistently at the corners of her lips. With one, last, blinding flash, it went out.

Vincent had an arm.

Tifa let the smile break out on her lips as she saw the familiar pale skin, rippling muscles, lean fingers and large palm. She laughed out loud and threw her arms around an equally amazed and overjoyed Adamus. She met Vincent's eyes, hers glittering with delight, awe, relief and excitement.

His eyes were widened; the red had lightened a little from the dreary, dark blood color. With deliberate slowness, he raised his new limb, testing it, feeling it, moving it for the first time. He stared at it. Disbelief sparked in his eyes for a split second. He slowly clenched his fingers into a fist, then straightened it, then fisted it again. He straightened his arm, throwing a back-fist at the air. Tifa smiled serenely as he conducted his experiments.

A joy filled her heart that she could help someone, that she could bring emotion into this mysterious man. As he moved it more and more, she could tell, even though there was no hint of it, that he was happy too. He pulled out a gun, spinning it, cocking it, re-holstering it. He touched his cowl, feeling the coarse fabric. He touched the skin of his other arm. Then, he raised his head and his eyes met Tifa's again.

The strange look in his eyes, one of unknown intention, made her freeze. Her eyes widened with amazement when he stretched his new hand toward her.

She was not prepared for her reaction.

The cold, icy touch of his long fingers upon her cheek froze her blood in place. She couldn't move, couldn't protest when he spread his fingers over her skin, his eyes looking at his hand as if it had a mind of it's own.

With a sudden jerk, he pulled away, shaking his head slightly. Tifa lowered her eyes.

"Just because you haven't had an arm for a while, doesn't mean you get to touch the lady, Valentine," Adamus teased, rising from his place at Tifa's side. "I suppose you two will have to go and see what you can do about Broderick now."

"Broderick?" Tifa asked, confused. Vincent rose as well, then offered his new hand to her. She took it, its coldness still shocking, and pulled herself up. "Broderick has evidently taken over Cloud's body," Vincent explained. He extracted the crucifix from the skin of his arm and gave it to her. She took it, surprised that it was not bloodstained, nor did he bleed where she had pricked him.

"You mean, he's not… dead?" she asked Adamus, who shrugged. "I can't say I know what's going on love, and I wish I could help you more. All I know is, if it's not Broderick himself, it is a descendant or a henchman of his. "

Tifa looked at Vincent. Their eyes met. He nodded once, and she understood. "We need to tell Yuffie about this. We have to go home, prepare, and go out to find him," Tifa stated, and Vincent nodded again.

Tifa turned to Adamus with a grateful smile. "Thank you, so much for everything Adamus," she said, leaning forward and pressing a light kiss on his cheek. He beamed. "I'll definitely be helping you more often," he grinned, and Tifa smiled back. Adamus sobered. "Be careful love. Vampires are nasty creatures, and all those things about sunlight and garlic are but myths. That crucifix may very well be the only chance you've got."

Tifa clasped the chain around her neck and fingered the crucifix as it hung around her neck. "Come on," Vincent said as he began to climb the dusty stairs out of the cavern. Tifa followed him out. As she slammed the large wooden door back into place, she looked up, surprised that the day had fled and that night was fast approaching.

"We'll go back into the cave lower down," Vincent decided. By the time they descended the hill, it was dark. Tifa sighed as she plopped down on the sandy floor. Vincent followed behind, throwing some small branches on the ashy circle where there last fire was. She lit it with the matches she had brought with her and sat close to the rapidly rising flames.

She looked up at Vincent, who sat at the mouth of the cave, looking up at the black, starry sky. _What is he looking at? _She continued to observe this strong and silent man, secretly admiring the broadness of his shoulders and back, and the evident hardness and muscle there.

She glimpsed his face as a light wind lifted his hair away from it; his sharp nose and down-turned lips, his pale, smooth skin. Her gaze traveled up to his eyes, red as blood, devoid of emotion.

She blinked when a spear of light sliced through the redness.

"Tifa."

The sound of her name in his voice still startled her, but it was the sudden sharp glimmer in his eyes that made her gasp. For once, instead of being blank, it shone with emotion. It was not an emotion in him she would have liked to see first.

Pure malice glittered in his blood red eyes and echoed in the tight planes of his face, the rigid set of his chin. He eased a hand towards his gun belt, slipping his fingers securely around his Cerberus.

"There's something outside."


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Tifa shoved her hand into her backpack and pulled out three slim, black handled daggers, two of which she slipped into her waistband and one she gripped between practiced fingers.

She crouched down at the mouth of the cave where Vincent stood, shielded from outside view. She was terrified. _I've never seen Vincent this… angry… _The image of malicious intent slicing through his blood red eyes would remain in her mind forever…

But even in the current circumstance, she couldn't stop her eyes from traveling over the wide expanse of his chest swathed tightly in black, heaving ever so slightly with each breath he took, outlining every line and swell-

"Get ready."

Tifa jumped, startled._ Gosh, what the hell is wrong with me?? _She tightened her long slim fingers over the hilt, focusing on the task at hand. Vincent held the deadly-looking, triple barreled Cerberus in his strong, long-fingered, masculine hand. _Stop it Teef._

Tifa chided herself and rolled her eyes just as the boom of Vincent's weapon deafened her, and in reflex she sprang up into combat position: knees bent, ready to spring, arms forward, ready to defend and dagger in hand, ready to kill.

A few more shots sounded from the gun, followed by a terrifyingly animalistic snarl she'd hoped she'd never hear again. _C-Cloud…! _The minute his name resounded in her mind was the same minute in which Vincent was vehemently pulled down and out of the cave by the growling, seething creature.

"VINCENT!!"

His name escaped from her lips in a terrified shriek as she rushed to the mouth of the cave and looked down. In dim, flickering firelight her eyes made out a large, furred creature holding a sharp-nailed claw over the silhouette of Vincent's face, ready to strike. As the creature lifted its arm and swung it downwards, Tifa let out a strangled gasp and covered her eyes with sweaty, shaking hands.

She waited for the sound of claws tearing flesh, the groan of agony, the snarl of victory.

Nothing.

A low hum suddenly sounded in her ears, and she opened her eyes only to close them again against a blinding blue light. _What… is this…? _She felt a strange surge of power emanating from her, swirling around her body, streaking through her hair, pushing against her palms as if it wanted to be released.

And she did.

Without thinking, she raised her palms upward and outward, directed out of the cave, letting the surge flow, strong and smooth, out of her body and into the air. She felt her eyes glow with it, her hair blow with it, her feet being lifted off the floor as the hum became louder…

…and then stopped.

In a split second, the flow was cut off and all of her strength drained. She collapsed on the floor, hitting the fine sand with a lifeless thud.

&&&&

_Where… am I?_

Tifa could not open her eyes. Her lids were too heavy. She tossed her head from side to side, confused and scared. _What happened to me…? Where… Vincent, Cloud… Vin… Vincent…_

"Tifa."

His voice. Oh, his deep, wondrous voice. He was calling her, saying her name. _Where are you? _ She opened her mouth to speak, but only a moan came out. Suddenly she felt cold, freezing cold.

"Her fever is rising."

That wasn't Vincent. Where was he? She wanted to see him. He was alive…

"Open your eyes."

There he was. She had to open her eyes to see him. She lay very still. She focused all her strength of lifting the heavy lids from her eyes. Slowly, carefully, she opened her eyes. She focused on the sharp nose and tight, down-turned lips. She focused on ruby eyes, blood eyes, red, red eyes…

"Can you speak?"

She blinked her eyes slowly, and dropped them to his lips again, full and masculine, but always down-turned. "Vin-" she tried, but she could not finish the word. _How did I get so tired?_

"It's alright sweetheart. You're weak because of the crucifix. It drained out all of your energy love." That voice again; it was Adamus. _Crucifix…_ She somehow managed to raise her hand to her chest where the silver cross lay. She touched it, but instead of feeling the welcoming coolness of metal, the pendant was warm, almost hot.

"You have to drink this."

Her eyes followed Vincent's voice; he held a small saucer in his strong, long – fingered hand. She felt cool flesh under her chin as he lifted her head with his other hand and poured a hot, bitter liquid between her lips. It scoured her throat as it went down, but she was too weak to react.

But not for long.

Almost immediately the medicine began to take effect. Her sight gradually began to clear and her breathing became less labored. Her eyelids became lighter and she felt like a weight had been lifted off of her body. "Vincent," she said in a soft but steady voice, "What happened to me? Where's Cloud? Why am I so weak?"

Vincent placed his palm on her forehead. Her eyes fluttered closed at the tingly feeling he lift there, and she sighed slightly, almost showing her disappointment when he pulled his palm away. "Her fever had dropped," he murmured.

"You saved Vincent's life love," Adamus said softly. "It seems as though the crucifix has been with you so long that when you got alarmed by the creature that was attacking him, it triggered a defence mechanism within the crucifix. Remarkable only, you weren't able to control it," Adamus said, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.

"What about Cloud? Is he still alive?" Tifa stared at Vincent's blood coloured eyes, watching it darken in hatred, but he said, "Cloud's still alive, because that was not him."

Tifa gasped. "What? T –There are more?"

Adamus picked up a book from behind him and lay in on her lap on the small table where she lay. She sat up. Vincent handed her another saucer, and she took it, drinking down the contents with no complaint. _More vampires? More animals? _

She surveyed the picture that Adamus was showing her. It portrayed one solid form of a man standing with his chin tilted upwards and his eyes closed as if meditating. From the thick, bold lines of his body, lighter, more shadowy lines emerged, forming silhouettes of bodies, of heads and shoulders, arms and legs.

"This … These look like spirits," Tifa whispered, tracing a long fingernail along the lighter lines. "Yes at first sight it does seem that way," Adamus mused, pointing to the man in the middle. "That is Broderick Accursius." Tifa gasped and recoiled from the picture, instantly intimidated by the name. "What does this mean?" Tifa asked, looking up at him.

"This is why Broderick was the headmaster of the vampires," Adamus began to explain, "Broderick can pour his soul into any body he chooses, leaving the body unharmed. This is what he did to Cloud. However, he needs to feed on something. Whatever he bites becomes possessed, as you probably have heard in you average vampire stories. Normally he would feed on humans, but what attacked Vincent last night was actually a possessed wolf. It wasn't a werewolf, but a normal wolf bitten by a vampire. I don't know what this vampire is up to, but he doesn't seem to be attacking any humans… at least, not yet."

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**To all the people who read and reviewed, thanks so much I feel special. . lol. I actually have a lot of really important exams coming up so I may not be able to post for a little while but please recommend my story to others and include constructive criticism because this story is a means of improving my writing by getting tips from other writers like you ^_^ Thanks so much!**

**Alamrin **


	10. Chapter 9

Everyone must have given up on me  SORRY I took so long to update, I'll try not to do that again. Thanks to everyone who's been reading and reviewing, it's been very helpful. Anyways, here's a sweet chapter for you 

**Chapter 9**

"Train me."

Vincent's eyes widened slightly as Tifa grabbed his arm and looked up at him with determined eyes. "What?" he enquired, raising a delicate eyebrow. _I wonder if he waxes… wait, what the hell am I thinking!?_

"Train me!" she said in a firmer voice, "Teach me how to use the crucifix! Teach me how to control it!" "It's not as easy as that love," Adamus interrupted, laying a hand on her shoulder and turning her to him, "It may take months, even years."

"Well we don't have years, do we? I'll just work with what time I have. This is the only thing that can beat Cloud!" Tifa insisted, gripping the slim, elegant cross in her fingers. She turned to Vincent, who was looking quizzically at her with his brow still raised.

He cocked his Cerberus and looked at her.

She couldn't help but smile.

"That's all well and good Vincent, but it didn't work last time. Your guns can stall him, not - " she stopped in mid-sentence. "…Kill him…?" Adamus murmured. Tifa covered her mouth with her hand.

"It's too dangerous." Vincent said curtly.

Tifa rolled her eyes, her strength fast returning. "Vincent, I have a pendant that shoots blue fire and drains my strength and an ex-boyfriend that's possessed by an evil vampire spirit who wants to wipe out the human race. I don't think it gets much more dangerous than that!"

She shouted the last word so loud even Vincent took a small step back. Tifa took a deep breath, then sighed. She continued, more calmly, "Look, Vincent, I just want to be able to do something about this. It isn't my fault, but it's something my ancestors have placed on this generation now, and… it's all up to me."

She stared up at Vincent with a plea shining in her wine colored eyes, a plea so desperate, so determined, that Vincent mentally slapped himself as he closed his eyes and sighed.

"Us," he corrected, deadpan. Tifa gasped, then blinked a couple of times. He looked at her, and Tifa knew she wasn't imagining the slightly warm shimmer to his blood colored orbs. "It's all up to us."

Tifa's eyes widened and she broke out in a dazzling smile as she jumped up from the bed and enveloped Adamus in a hug. Adamus regarded Vincent with a sly gaze over her shoulder, but Vincent quickly blinked away the warmth from his expression and turned abruptly. "Rest," he said curtly, walking away. "I'll be in the cave. We start tomorrow."

Tifa turned and cast a confused look at him, wondering at his sudden change in emotion. She looked at Adamus, who smiled softly. "Quite a soft spot he has for you."

################################

"Concentrate."

_How can I concentrate when you're so… unclothed??_

Tifa struggled to look away from his bare chest; indeed, it was so difficult that she gripped her crucifix hard enough for its intricate patterns to imprint on her palm. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. _Okay… here goes…_

She placed her fingers on the cross hanging around her neck and drew a mental picture in her mind. She remembered the feeling of the strange blue light flowing like quicksilver through her veins and focused on the dagger flying towards her, the one that Vincent had thrown towards her with amazing precision, with clearly experienced fingers. Such long, strong fingers and such sinewed hands and arms were experienced in many things. Such hands could wreak havoc, she knew, but they could bring great pleasure elsewhere.

"Tifa!"

Her eyes flew open just in time to see the dagger less than two feet away from her. She jumped agilely out of the way, but then groaned and dropped to the ground in frustration. _Gosh, he's impossible! _She put her head in her hands and laced her fingers through her hair, tugging it, trying to pull out the erotic images from her head.

She heard the slide of sand underfoot, and when she raised her head she almost groaned. He was approaching her, every movement of his body making the muscles of his toned abs and broad chest ripple and bulge.

It was a scorching hot day. Both Tifa and Vincent had rolled up their trousers to knee length, and Tifa had folded her sleeveless top over her breasts, exposing a flat, toned belly to what little wind was blowing.

Vincent had ridded himself of his cowl and muscle shirt and had removed his boots, and his bare chest paired with his untidily folded pants and long, flowing hair gave him an almost primal look, but nonetheless, he was mind-numbingly sexy.

"Something is bothering you," he sighed, dropping to the ground next to her, much to her dismay. _You don't know the half of it. _"I'm fine," she snapped, exasperated. Goosebumps rose on her shoulders as his hair brushed against her sweaty skin. His closeness did nothing to allay her discomfort, nor did his masculine scent, musky with a touch of sweat.

"I saw a lake from the cave yesterday," she said, getting up, "I'll take a bath, calm myself a little." She walked briskly away from the object of her very explicit and unwanted fantasies, mentally slapping herself as she directed her legs to walk towards a small lake she had seen glistening in the moonlight the night before, nestled among a dense copse of trees.

_I can't believe I'm thinking like this… I mean, it's about time I admit to myself that he's attractive, but this is ridiculous. I just lost my boyfriend, not to mention the fact that he's been cheating on me all this time anyway, and making advances on my best friend. I can't be thinking about Vincent like this, I have to think about my life now. How do I turn this right side up??_

She sighed with defeat as she arrived at the small, dense copse. She weaved through the trees until she came across the small opening where the shimmering lake lay; surprisingly clean with no sign of wildlife other than some reeds in the water.

She glanced from left to right, and then peeled her sweat-soaked blouse off her skin, sighing with relief as her skin came into contact with a brief gust of wind. She rolled her pants up to their very shortest, but kept them on for quick escape purposes.

She daintily dipped a toe into the water, finding it pleasantly cool. With no hesitation she shallow dived in, her slim but curvy body slicing through the calm, glassy surface of the lake. She smiled as the cool water rinsed the sweat off her skin and the stress out of her mind as she swam right down to the other end of the lake.

When she emerged, she blinked crystal droplets out of wine colored eyes, but the first thing she saw almost made tears come to her eyes instead. A pair of well-muscled calves and feet stared back at her. Her ninja instincts told her to attack, but recognition told her that Vincent was too strong an opponent anyways.

She lifted her chin slowly, her eyes traveling up the length of his black clothed thighs and over the toned stomach and broad, rippling chest, past those thin, moist, sensuously parted lips to his blood colored eyes.

They were dark, mysterious, but held a glow that Tifa had never seen before. Much to her dismay, he was not returning her gaze.

It slowly dawned on her that she was standing in a lake of crystal clear water wearing rolled up pants and a clingy, wet black brassiere. Her eyes widened before a crimson blush flickered across her cheeks.

In a split second, the look of astonishment on her face was replaced by anger and, without thinking, she flung both arms out of the water towards him, sending a splash of water against his bare chest.

He looked down at his chest where beads of water trickled down his pale skin, then looked at Tifa who, realizing her actions, slunk a few feet away from him, eyeing him warily.

He said nothing, but closed his eyes and sat down at the water's edge, folding his trousers over his knees and dangling his legs into the water. She narrowed her eyes at him, and then swam away like an impertinent mermaid, to the other side of the lake. She kept swimming and slashing for a little while longer, but the awareness of his eyes on her drove her mad.

_I've got an idea…_

She smirked, then took a deep breath and submerged herself in the water. She was trained to hold her breath for long periods, and waited till she was certain he'd be wondering where she was. Slowly, stealthily, she swam towards his legs, smirking to herself. Then, as she came upon his legs, she jumped out of the water and splashed a shower at him, intent on startling him.

It wasn't successful.

Before her mind could conceive what had happened, her body was immersed within the water and her eyes were focused on the end of her nose, wondering how the dollop of wet, sticky mud had gotten there. She glanced up into Vincent's eyes and swore she saw a smug glitter there. _What the..??!_

Vincent held a handful of the sticky stuff in his hand. _Did he… throw it at me…? _Tifa stared at him, dumbfounded. Vincent Valentine had thrown dirt at her.

DIRT.

"Don't wet me," he said curtly, throwing back his head and flinging wet black locks behind him. Tifa blinked, once, twice, and then something clicked in her head.

Before she knew what she was doing, she lunged at him, out of the water and onto his chest, throwing him rather roughly onto his back. _HOW DARE HE!? No-one throws DIRT at me and looks so smug after it!!! Don't you get cheeky with me, Valentine!_

She raised her fist to punch his face when she felt him rise below her, and a squeal of surprise escaped her lips when she felt herself being turned over and pressed to the ground. As she hit the ground with a thump, she gasped and shut her eyes, bearing the slight pain of her spine being pressed to the hard, wet mud.

She opened her eyes slowly, carefully, and saw his red ones staring back at her, dark, warm and fiery. It was a blaze like never before, and she found herself captivated by them, too captivated to notice that he was basically lying on top of her, that they were both wet, that his body and hers were pressed flush together and that his skin and hers molded together with a unison that was shocking.

Slowly, deliberately, with his eyes never leaving hers, he lowered his head towards hers, his long black hair bracketing her face, hiding them away from all else…


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Tifa shuddered and her eyes fluttered shut as his warm breath caressed her face. His lips touched hers, but yet he did not kiss her. They were surprisingly soft, tender and full of so much promise…

A sudden rustle in the bushes brought Tifa out of her sinfully beautiful reverie as Vincent jumped up and grabbed his Cerberus, presumably from out of nowhere, since she did not remember him coming with it.

He aimed it towards a bush of rustling leaves, a lethal frown etching the anger in his eyes on the sharp, distinct features of his face.

"Come."

His deep baritone rumbled through her being and tickled her already aroused senses, and she shuddered at the warmth still resting upon her lips. How she had anticipated his kiss…

"Maybe I should come back later…"

Tifa gasped at the sound of Adamus's voice and quickly turned around, only now realizing that she was still in her bra. Her face turned crimson at the way this situation must look in Adamus's eyes. She instinctively crossed her arms over her breasts and bent her head, embarrassed.

There was an awkward silence that hung in the air, and Tifa tentatively peeked over her shoulder. Vincent was standing upright now, his gun in his hand but at his side, and Adamus had an almost insatiable smirk on his face as he eyed Vincent with mischief glimmering in his eyes.

"I had no idea your relationship was that strong love," Adamus teased, addressing Tifa now, "I'm rather disappointed, love." Tifa frowned, put out by his suggestive and, to her, rather inappropriate teasing. "This is not what it looks like," she muttered through gritted teeth, rising to her feet, but with her back still turned.

"Oh I wasn't talking about now, I was taking about when old Vincent here was on top of you-" Adamus's words were cut off by a spear of blue light which whisked right past his face. He stood stock still with a gasp, and by and by a small red line appeared on his cheek – a cut.

Vincent's eyes widened slightly, then he swiftly turned his head to Tifa, his long, wet hair flying behind him. Tifa was glaring at Adamus, but her cheeks were tomato red with embarrassment, and she held her crucifix in a bone white grip. Then she shook her head and blinked.

She looked at Vincent, her eyes wide and filled with surprise, confusion and wonder. Then she looked down at her hand, holding the crucifix, now warm and still slightly glowing. A thought came to her mind.

_What if I… maybe if I – _

She closed her eyes at once, and focused on the glowing pendant, on its mysterious power within. She thought about what just happened, the flash of light, the slice on Adamus's cheek.

Slowly, she opened her eyes.

And she smiled in satisfaction.

The familiar icy blue light now levitated before her, bright, shimmering and strong. She felt the pressure of its power pressing against her face like a gust of glacier wind. She intensified her stare, and in the blink of an eye the light took the shape of a pointed dagger, small, slim and deadly. She narrowed her eyes, concentrating on her little creation, and it moved, from left to right, then left again.

She was controlling it…

"Tifa-" "SHHH!" She interrupted Vincent's voice as she focused on her task at hand. _Your voice isn't exactly what I need to hear right now Vincent… _She raised her hand and was satisfied when she saw the dagger rise with it. She experimented, moving her hand back and forth, swinging it in circles and watching with a growing smile as the dagger mirrored her every move.

She looked up and Vincent, who was looking back at her with a surprisingly content expression. _He's so handsome… he should smile…_ Tifa gasped as the dagger vanished from in front of her, and she slumped her shoulders in disappointment, and pouted up at Vincent, who closed his eyes and shook his head. "Do it again," he ordered, and she nodded and closed her eyes again. It didn't occur to her that she was still in her wet brassiere…

She took a breath to calm her senses. His voice again zipped through her system with a tingle, and she had to calm herself before she could concentrate. She repeated her earlier performance, and found that she formed the dagger with less of a struggle. She shifted it in mid air again, and then had a thought. She narrowed her eyes at the dagger and thought back to when Adamus had gotten her angry.

With a blink of her wine colored eyes, the dagger whizzed past Adamus yet again, this time trimming off a piece of his tunic. She broke out into a joyful smile, so happy was she with herself that she did not think of where the dagger had gone until she saw a swell of blue light behind Vincent, who seemed to sense the danger.

He dodged to the side quickly enough to avoid a mini explosion of white hot light which flew like sparks in all directions and then disintegrated into the air with harsh crackling sounds.

He looked at the disintegrating light, then at Tifa, his eyes slightly widened. Tifa blinked, then looked down at the warm crucifix in her hand. "It looks like I have to learn how to control it," she said, matter-of-factly. Vincent nodded, and they both glanced at Adamus in silent question to remain in the hills. Adamus looked at them with wide eyes, holding up his sliced tunic.

"Why am I always the target?"

####################################################

"Very good Tifa. Keep focusing."

_I can't exactly focus if you keep using that sexy voice on me... _Tifa fumed as she raised her palms to the large orb she had formed around a nervous Adamus, who was standing stock still in the middle of it. Vincent walked slowly around the barrier with a handful of daggers, and every now and again, without warning, he threw one or two at Adamus, trying to break her defense.

He seemed to be satisfied with her almost flawless defensive barrier and her steady improvement over the last month. She even fancied that he was impressed. She was more determined than ever to learn about her lineage, her crucifix, and her power.

"It's late," Vincent said, flinging his last dagger at the obviously impenetrable barrier. He lifted his head to the dark night sky speckled with cloud shrouded stars which glowed softly next to a shy full moon half hidden by clouds as well.

Tifa almost pouted when she let go of the crucifix and allowed her orb to diffuse into the air; the blue light had sharpened the masculine, attractive features of Vincent's handsome face and strong neck. Though she still annoyed herself with her attraction to the mysterious man, she allowed herself to admire him in the semi-bright moonlight.

"Hey Vincent," Tifa called, ignoring Adamus's teasing grin and walking up to him. They strolled together back to the cave some distance away. "I think it's about time we get back to Yuffie, don't you? I mean, she's probably so worried -"

Tifa was interrupted when Vincent threw himself at her and pushed her to the floor, landing on top of her. She looked up in time to see a dark, small figure leaping over them, and then she heard it – a growl she'd never forget.

Though not as deep and guttural, it was the same haunted animal sound Cloud had made at her in their house, the same possession… But it was different somehow. "Get up," Vincent said shortly, raising himself off of her and grasping her hand to pull her up. She leapt up and almost into Vincent's arms. His strong, protective arms…

She shook her head and spun to look at their assailant.

She almost fainted.

"Y- Yuffie…"

The word escaped her now dry lips in a raspy whisper of disbelief. Crouched in front of her like a tiger about to pounce was the slim little girl who was her best friend. Tifa's eyes filled with tears at the horror of seeing yet another of her loved ones undergo such a drastic transformation.

In the dim moonlight she could see Yuffie's eyes, no longer the glittery stormy grey she once knew, but the terrifying deep, murky purple she remembered. Yuffie was crouched on the floor with one clawed arm raised as if to strike, and she let out another angry snarl that stifled Tifa's choked sob.

_Yuffie… Yuffie, Yuffie… YUFFIE!!!_

Tifa could barely move as she stared in shock at the monster her petite friend had become, with no mind, no rationality, no idea that she was a friend, a loved one. The tears streamed down her face freely, and she made no move to wipe them, stuck in a trance of disbelief…

… She jumped when Vincent cocked his gun with a sharp click, and she looked up at him.

He was glaring at Yuffie, his eyes narrowed and dark like blood… blood that needed to be spilled. She didn't like to see him like that, so dark, so brooding, so dangerous and ready to shoot the demon out of his opponent… except his gun wouldn't work.

Her hand flew to her crucifix as she gasped softly, realizing what Yuffie's sudden attack really meant. "Tifa," Vincent said, softly, and she nodded and took a deep breath. She could not believe she was going to full on attack her best friend. She gulped, nervous and shaking in the trance of the calculation of the fight just waiting to happen.

It all happened in the blink of an eye: Yuffie's animalistic leap towards Tifa's head, Vincent's booming gunshots making her lithe body jerk back in mid air… what Tifa didn't expect was the barrage of blue –white spears whizzing from her palm to impale her possessed friend in the rough shape of a cross on her chest.


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

"YUFFIE!!!!"

Tifa screamed as she ran towards her friend, only to be roughly held back by a strong muscular arm wrapping itself around her waist and pulling her backwards against a wall of hard muscle.

"Don't," Vincent ordered, holding her tightly to him, "She could be dangerous -" "More dangerous than me???" Tifa shrieked, and without thinking, she threw up her arms and formed a large orb around herself, throwing Vincent back behind her like a used napkin.

Tifa scurried over to Yuffie, who was lying motionless in a crumpled heap on the ground, spears of blue light sticking out in every direction. _Oh God, what have I done? What do I do???? _She collapsed to her knees beside the girl she considered her little sister, tears already streaming down her pale cheeks. She tried to touch one of the dreadful blue spikes, only to have it crackle and spark at her hands.

"Tifa you need to calm down, love," she heard Adamus's concerned voice call from some distance behind. She looked behind her and saw him approaching her slowly, tentatively; a solid ten feet behind lay Vincent, panting slightly. _…I did that…_

Adamus came down to his knees beside Tifa. "You can heal," he whispered to her, his eyes shimmering with assurance. "Heal her, love… think 'heal'." Tifa took a deep breath, nodding slowly.

She placed her hands over the mangled body of her dear, dear friend. Tears continued to flow down her cheeks as she closed her eyes. _Heal…_

Earlier than she had intended, she felt the familiar stirring within her veins that told her that the crucifix had awakened within her. Motivated, she concentrated harder, closing her eyes tightly and holding her breath, muttering to herself, "Heal… heal…"

She heard a faint whizzing sound, also familiar to her ears as the sound of her orb dissipating. She opened her eyes, and then sighed with relief. The deadly spears of light had begun to disappear, disintegrating in the blink of an eye, one spear, then another. Soon, the last spear turned to blue sparkle before her, then faded away in the air.

She looked down at Yuffie; she was breathing lightly. Tifa took a breath, then closed her eyes again. Her hands glowed with her curious magic, her fingertips tingled, her blood coursed violently through her veins…

"Tifa…?"

Tifa's eyes flew open to see Yuffie, still lying on the floor, but with her eyes open, weakly, looking up at her. She looked bewildered.

"Yuff," Tifa sighed happily, placing her still slightly glowing hand on her friend's cheek. "I know you're confused, but don't worry, you're fine. I'll explain when you regain your strength. We're gonna take care of you." Tifa rose from the ground and turned, only to become face to face – or rather face to chest – with Vincent.

She actually had to stifle a giggle at the way he looked – his cowl was dislocated, his hair tousled untidily and he wore a slightly annoyed expression on his face._ If he didn't look annoyed, that untidy hair might have looked sexy…_

Tifa mentally slapped herself and threw back her shoulders, defiantly. "Well don't just stand there, pick her up," she said, matter-of-factly, causing a noticeable deepening of the already rigid lines of annoyance on his masculine face. However, he complied, lifting Yuffie's childlike frame in his arms with breathless ease.

They carried her to Adamus's cavern, where he treated her with the same potion he had given to Tifa. In a matter of minutes, the little ninja was up and conscious, asking questions by the dozen.

"Why are you guys here? What happened to me? What's going on? Why haven't you been contacting me? Do you have any idea how worried I am? What the heck is with Cloud? Why are you guys looking at me like that??"

Indeed, all three of them were staring incredulously at Yuffie, who not half hour ago was a raging, life-threatening vampire monster. _She doesn't remember a thing… This doesn't help us…_

"Yuffie, let me explain what we know so far. But you have to promise me you won't follow us on this. Promise me you'll go straight home afterwards and tell no one what has happened. Promise?" Tifa looked expectantly at the curious little kunoichi, who bobbed her round head yes.

Tifa revealed to Yuffie every single detail from the gunshots in the kitchen to her vicious attack on them a few minutes ago. Yuffie gasped; she had never believed in these horror stories. And now her best friend – no, her SISTER – was in the middle of one.

"Teef, you and Vincent need to come home," she insisted, tugging childishly on Vincent's tattered cowl. Vincent slightly furrowed his brow before swishing the cape away from her grasp. "You guys need to see the kids. Make up a story. You need to get more material and supplies and a shower and -"

"We will come," Vincent said curtly, his deep baritone slicing through Yuffie's sharp falsetto. Adamus nodded. "You must. Get some rest and then come back here tomorrow. We will search for a lead in the Lockheart Volume"

Tifa sighed and got up. "It's late now. Let's bunk in the cave down lower and leave first thing in the morning."

* * *

"This is where you've been staying?? No wonder you smell like soot and bat poop!" Yuffie screeched when she saw the cave in which Vincent and Tifa had stayed in for the past month or so. The teen ninja kicked at the sooty heap of past fires, then whirled around suddenly, narrowing her eyes at Vincent before letting her eyes travel up and down his large frame, then Tifa's.

"Yuffie…" Tifa said, tentatively, "… What is it?"

Yuffie's brows shot up over her round grey eyes, now sparkling with mischief. "So uh… you two stayed here… while Addie stayed up there… And you were… alone…?" She bobbed her eyebrows suggestively, and Tifa almost fainted.

"Yuffie!" she shouted, trying in vain to ignore the tingly heat that bloomed on her cheeks and flickered across the bridge of her nose. She knew she was blushing, but she couldn't do anything about it.

The truth is, she had been having rather… explicit dreams about the man who lay beside her on that sandy surface. Sleeping had become near impossible as her subconscious mind conjured up sensual images of the man whose long, raven hair and large, muscular, bulging chest heaving with each deep, intoned breath sent her mind reeling with her own body heaving in sync with his, his sighs weaving together to create sexy promises in her ear as his hair brushed against the smooth, sensitive skin of her neck, tickling not only her skin but her senses, sending titillating surges of intense pleasure through her dilated veins to the low pit of her stomach…

_TIFA! Don't do this now, not now, not when you know you'll get snapped back into reality to find yourself-_

"BLUSHING!!!!" Yuffie shrieked, dreadfully breaking her out of her sinful reverie and ironically finishing her sentence. She frowned and threw a charred stick of used firewood at the ninja, so upset that she missed by no less than a foot. "Shut up!" Tifa warned, and immediately felt a familiar surge sweep through her in her frustration.

She gasped and looked down at her now blue, glowing palm. Alarmed, she took a deep breath and held it, squeezing her eyes shut as she fought down the liquid energy that seemed to stretch her blood vessels to bursting. She could control it, she must.

Slowly, she let out her breath, and with it, the power receded, back to her heart, where above on her now warm flesh, the crucifix lay. She opened her eyes to see Yuffie staring, fear-stricken, at her, at least three feet further from her than where she was before.

"I'm sorry, Yuffie, I just… kinda lost it for a while. I won't hurt you, I promise…" _Tifa looked at her little friend with an apologetic and infinitely pleading look in her eyes. Please forgive me Yuff… Please don't be … afraid… I'm not a … a monster…_

_Am I? _

* * *

Was that a good place to stop?

I'm SO SORRY I took so dang long to update! I'm in Lower Six Level now at school [that's like, the equivalent to 11th grade or something? I dunno lol] and I became Vice Student Body President, so I have like a LOT of stuff to do, and then my CAPE exams are coming up now so I'm all busy with studying and oral exams and ALL KINDS OF STUFF.

I hope it hasn't affected my writing to much??? Tell me by giving me a review!! =P

Thanks to all those who have been reviewing. Luv ya!


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